The Christmas Shoes
by FaithInHim4ever
Summary: Gloria, Monica, Tess, Rafael and Andrew come into the lives of the Kissenger family to show them as well as a neighbor the true meaning of Christmas. RR
1. A Time for Giving

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own.

A/N: This story came to me while listening to the song it is named after. I hope everyone likes it.

God loves you

"The Christmas Shoes"

Chapter 1-The Spirit of Giving

Gloria smiled as she watched through a mall display at the children who ran throughout it, gazing at toys and books. She enjoyed watching children have fun. She loved having fun herself and she was a child at heart.

As Gloria continued to watch the children admiring the toy displays, she was joined by Tess and Monica.

"Aw, Tess, Christmas is so much fun!" Gloria exclaimed, her voice full of the joy and innocence she felt. Her rosy cheeks were pink with cold, but the little angel didn't care.

"Yes, you're right about that, little angel. Christmas is a joyous time of year. It's a time for miracles. It's also a time that brings out the best in some people and the opposite in others."

"What do you mean, Tess?" Gloria asked, her brown eyes full of confusion.

Tess gestured to a man standing in a long line of a Sears. He was holding a package while grumbling and glaring at anyone who tried to politely pass him. Two children stood next to him, both of them clearly oblivious to his irritation.

One was a girl about the age of five while the other was a boy who looked no older than ten or eleven.

"Who is he, Tess?" Gloria asked, frowning at the man in question.

"His name is Jerry Thompson, little angel. He's your assignment. He needs help. Jerry has never been one for Christmas."

"How can someone not be into Christmas?" Monica asked, speaking for the first time since they had arrived to meet the youngest angel.

Tesss shook her head.

"Well, angel girl, some people get so wrapped up in the present giving part of the Holiday, they can't remember the true meaning of Christmas."

Beside Tess on her left, Gloria let out a small giggle.

"What's so funny, little angel?" Tess asked, narrowing her eyes. "This assignment is anything but a laughing matter. If anything, it's going to take five or more angels to complete it. And if it doesn't go the way the Father has intended it to, it could mess four lives up."

Gloria nodded.

"It's not that." She said, trying to contain her giggles. "It's just that was a good pun."

"What?" Tess asked, irritation in her voice as well as her eyes.

Monica, who had caught on to what Gloria was getting at, nodded her head in agreement.

"My little one is right, Tess. "All wrapped up"? That is a pun and a good one at that." She let a small laugh escape her own lips.

Tess smiled, although the smile didn't last long.

"All right you two, it's time to get serious." Tess told them, getting back down to business.

Monica sobered up almost immediately, but Gloria took a few more minutes.

"Gloria?" Tess warned, giving her a look.

Monica eyed Gloria and gave her a look that clearly stated to please settle down.

Gloria did so, obeying Monica without question.

"I'm sorry." Gloria apologized turning to Tess.

"It's all right, little angel. I know you find joy in the simplest things and that's a blessing from the Father. But there is a time for fun and a time to work. And this is a time to work."

Gloria nodded.

"It's all right, Gloria." Monica told her, seeing a frown cross her charge's face. "Tess wasn't trying to be mean. But we do need to get down to work now, okay?" With that, Monica wrapped a loving arm around the youngest angel.

Tess rolled her eyes. She knew Monica and Gloria were close, but sometimes, Monica was too overprotective of the youngest member of their family.

Tess gave Gloria a half smile before turning her attention back to the subject at hand.

"As I was saying, some people are too focused on giving materialistic gifts, they forget what giving the right gift can do. The power of love it can send out is amazing."

Gloria nodded. She understood what Tess was saying.

"Who's going to show Jerry the joy of giving the gift of love?"

"You are." Tess told her. "You're going to be their nanny."

Gloria gave Tess a confused look. The elder angel pointed to the little girl and slightly older boy standing with the man Tess had called Jerry.

The little girl had blond hair and blue eyes. Her eyes were a sky blue, not an ocean blue like Celine's. She was carrying a teddy bear in her arms. The bear was brown with a Santa hat on its head.

"Aw, she's so cute!" Gloria gushed, referring to the little girl.

"Yes, she is. Her name is Brooke. She has the right idea of what Christmas is all about. Her brother, Caleb, also knows what the true meaning of Christmas is. But sadly, their next door neighbor has forgotten."

"So my job is to remind him?" Gloria asked, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do.

Tess shook her head.

"No. That sweet baby," she pointed to Caleb, "is going to do that. You're job is to help Jerry to get ready to receive the reminder."

"So Brooke and Caleb aren't his children?" Monica asked, a wee bit confused herself.

Tess shook her head.

"No. Caleb and Brooke are just his neighbors. Jerry does have a daughter though. Her name is Serenity and she is eight years old. She's also a part of this assignment as well. As for Brooke and Caleb, Jerry watches them upon occasion for their mother, Kristen Kissenger. Kristen isn't doing so well. She…well…she has had a bad heart for a while now and…" Tess's voice trailed off as Andrew joined them. "Where have you been, baby?" She asked, turning to Andrew.

Andrew sighed.

"I was with Kristen." Andrew told her. He then looked at Gloria and Monica. He offered them a weak smile, but it faded quickly.

Gloria shook her head as she tried to fight back tears.

"No, no. OH my! Don't' tell me those children are going to lose their…They can't!"

"I'm afraid so, little angel." Tess said, shaking her head in despair. "I'm afraid so. But we can't think about that right now. We need to focus on those children and Jerry. It's going to take a few angels to make sure that this is Kristen's best Christmas ever." With that, Tess took Gloria into her arms and gave her a much needed hug.

Monica also had a few tears in her eyes as she stared at the children and the man who looked so unhappy. This wasn't how Christmas was supposed to be.

But as Monica continued to observe the children, along with the adult who accompanied them, the Irish angel reminded herself that God had everything undercontrol. And as long as Monica prayed and handed it all over to the Father, everything would work out according to His plan. The only question was, how much time did they have to make this Christmas miracle come true?


	2. A Present for Mommy

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own.

A/N: This story is just moving along. GOL! Here is the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it.

God loves you

"The Christmas Shoes"

Chapter 2-A Present for Mommy

"Jerry, can't we just get our Mommy one gift?" six year old Brooke Alexandria Kissinger asked, her blue eyes staring up at Jerry hopefully.

"No." He replied, glaring at the little girl. "These lines are long enough. Now we're getting what we need and then I'm dropping you two off at home. Your new nanny should be there by then. I hope she can handle you two brats better."

Brooke gazed at the floor as tears threatened to fall from her cobalt eyes. She didn't understand why Jerry was like this. She hadn't asked him to do anything for them this whole time. All they wanted was to buy a gift for their Mama.

"It'll be okay, Brooke." Caleb comforted, putting his arm around his sister comfortingly. "We'll get Mom something special."

Brooke nodded, allowing her brother to comfort her. She let out a soft sob as she tried to stop crying.

"Shh, come on, sis, don't cry. It's gonna be okay. I know it will." Caleb assured his upset sibling. "Mom's going to have a great Christmas."

"How do you know?" Brooke half asked, half sobbed. "She's sick and she's going to Heaven soon!"

"I know," Caleb agreed, his voice soft. "I know. But I also know that this is going to be her best Christmas ever. I can feel it. Have you been praying for a miracle?"

Brooke nodded.

"Yes." She said, calming down considerably.

"Good. Then I know she'll have a great Christmas. God always answers prayers. Sometimes it takes a while, but God will help us. I know He will."

"Come on, you two." Jerry said, gruffly. He pulled on Brooke's hand ,rather hard. "I need to get home and cook dinner for the in laws."

"Hey!" Caleb shouted, pulling Brooke back protectively. "Don't pull my sister like that. Come on, Brooke." With that, Caleb led his sister out of the store, his hand gently guiding her along all the while.

When the two Kissenger children returned home, they were greeted by a kind young woman. She had brown eyes and reddish brown hair. She wore glasses and she had a completely different ora about her than Jerry.

She introduced herself as Gloria and she smiled upon meeting both Brooke and Caleb.

Upon noticing Brooke's tears, Gloria knelt down and held her arms out.

"Oh, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Gloria asked, sincere concern in her voice.

Brooke hesitated at first, but then she gazed up and felt a comfortable feeling come over her. She didn't know why, but she felt like she could tell Gloria everything.

The little girl took a tentative step towards Gloria's opened arms. She then stopped and glanced back at Caleb for the okay.

He nodded. He didn't know what it was, but he too felt comfortable around Gloria and therefore, he didn't' mind if she held his sister. HE felt safe with Brooke in Gloria's care.

Taking her brother's lead, Brooke made the rest of the way to Gloria's arms and let the young woman hold her.

Gloria's embrace felt safe and warm. It reminded Brooke of how safe she felt whenever her mother held her.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Brooke. It's okay. Whatever it is, it's gonna be okay. Come on, let's get you guys inside and I'll make us some hot chocolate. Does that sound good? Would you guys like some hot chocolate?"

"Yes, pe-please?" Brooke replied, her reply coming out in a sob.

"Aw, what nice words. Come on." Gloria said, hoisting Brooke onto her hip. She led the way into the house and beckoned gently for Caleb to follow.

The young boy didn't need much coaxing. He wanted to help Brooke feel better and he knew Gloria would be able to make Brooke smile again.

After the three had entered the house, Gloria didn't go right to the kitchen. She made a bee line for the living room.

Once there, Gloria sat down in the glider and Brooke immediately snuggled into her for a cuddle.

"Aw, there you go. Now, what's the matter, honey? I want to help you. You can tell me anything. I promise I won't laugh at you and I promise anything you tell me within reason will stay between us. And I'll try and help you feel better."

Brooke nodded. She then glanced up at Gloria, a look of confusion on her features.

"What's within reason mean?" She asked, calming down for the moment.

Gloria giggled softly. She had forgotten to bring her vocab down for the little ones.

"I'm sorry. I sometimes talk using big words. Within reason means as long as the problem won't hurt anyone."

Brooke nodded. She understood now.

"Okay. Well, we were shopping with Jerry and I wanted to get our Mommy a present, but… but Jerry said no!" The last word came out in a sob. "Mommy's sick and she's going to Heaven soon! I want to get her something special!"

Gloria tried to fight back tears at the conclusion of Brooke's explanation. She had remembered what Tess had told her about the childrens' mother.

Caleb took over the explanation just then.

"We wanted to buy her something really special. We've been saving up for the last four months. We still have a few weeks to go. We want the gift to be really special."

Gloria nodded as she held Brooke close.

"Well, I know any gift you give her will be special." Gloria told the two children. "It will be special because it came from you." She patted Brooke's head gently. "And you too." She reached out and pulled Caleb in for a hug.

Both siblings nodded.

"Will you take us shopping for Mommy? Please, Miss Gloria?" Brooke asked, always one to be polite.

Gloria nodded.

"Sure thing, kiddo. But it's just Gloria. None of this 'Miss stuff. Okay?"

Brooke frowned.

"Okay. But I like calling you Miss Gloria."

"Well, then I guess I can make an acception this time." Gloria said, smiling down at Brooke. Without warning, she started tickling Brooke's tummy, making the child burst out giggling.

Caleb joined in with the laughter as well. It had been a long time since the sound of laughter was heard in the Kissenger household. And it was a joyous sound to hear…

Monica, meanwhile, was standing outside the home of Jerry Miller. Tess had explained to Monica that the Irish angel was going to be the one to help Jerry as well.

When Monica had questioned Tess's instructions, Tess told her Gloria would still bring the two assignments together, but until that happened, Monica was to help Jerry for the time being.

Monica was going to be Jerry's home care worker for his daughter, Serenity.

Serenity was eight years old and unable to walk. She had to be carried almost everywhere and needed help doing some every day things other children took for granted.

And since Jerry was working a full schedule at his job as the manager of a company, he didn't have much time for Serenity.

As Monica rang the doorbell, she sighed. She prayed that God would give her patience to deal with Jerry. If Jerry's behavior at the mall was any indication of how he normally acted, Monica needed all the patience she could use them.

The door opened a moment later and Jerry Thompson stood there.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice full of frustration.

Monica ignored Jerry's greeting and gave him a friendly smile.

"Hello. My name is Monica. I was sent here to help with your wee girl, Serenity."

Jerry nodded as though he had just remembered calling them the night before.

"Oh yeah. Come in. She's right back there." He said, gesturing to a room at the end of the hallway. She's good with strangers, so you shouldn't have a problem. She might talk your ear off though."

Monica smiled.

"That's not a problem. I love takin' care of the wee ones."

Jerry grunted as though Monica's comment didn't matter to him.

After giving Jerry a reassuring smile, Monica left Jerry in the doorway and made her way back to Serenity's room.

Upon entering the room, Monica found a wee girl with brown hair and blue eyes sitting in a bed. She was watching TV and singing along with a commercial jingle.

"You have a very pretty voice." Monica commented, making Serenity look up. "You're Serenity, right?"

Serenity nodded. She gave Monica a smile.

"Uh-huh. Who are you?" She asked, curiosity in her voice.

"My name is Monica. I'm here to help you." She said, coming further into the room. "May I sit here?" She asked, gesturing to the chair closest to Serenity's bed.

Serenity nodded.

"Sure. I like your accent, Monica. It's pretty."

"Aw thank you, darlin'." Monica said as she sat down and gave Serenity a friendly smile. "So what do you like to do for fun?"

Serenity's blue eyes lit up.

"I love singing, playing games and drawing. I draw pictures for Daddy, but he doesn't like them." She frowned at this last statement.

Monica frowned as well, but then she reminded herself that her assignment was Jerry and once she found the key to help him, things would get better.

"Well, maybe we can do something about that." Monica said, patting Serenity's shoulder.

"That would be great!" Serenity told her, smiling from ear to ear. "Do you want to see some of my drawings?"

"I'd love to."

"Okay!" With that, Serenity pulled out a book from a bookshelf that sat above her bed. She laid the book down on the bed in between Monica and herself and opened it. With that, the two started to look through it…


	3. Trust His Heart

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own. I also DO NOT own the words to Trust His Heart. They belong to Babbie Macen.

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it. I'm trying to follow the song as best I can, but I'm also going to put some originality into the story as well.

God loves you!

"The Christmas Shoes"

Chapter 3-Trust His Heart

"Miss Gloria, look!" Brooke shouted excitedly. "Look! That's it! That's what we can get Mommy!" With that, Brooke broke free of Gloria's hand and ran over to the shelf where the object was. She picked out a pair of ballet shoes that looked like something a princess would wear. They were gold and pink with white lace on the front of them.

Gloria smiled at the little girl as she approached her and gazed down at the gift Brooke had chosen.

"They are really pretty." Gloria agreed. She then knelt down to Brooke's level and frowned. "But you need to stay close to me, okay? I don't want you getting lost. If there's something you want to see, just tell me. I'll take you over to it."

Brooke nodded and frowned.

"I'm sorry." She said, sure she was going to get in trouble.

"It's all right." Gloria told her. "I'm not mad at you, sweetie. I just want to keep you and your brother safe."

"Okay." Brooke replied, relieved she wasn't in trouble.

It had been two weeks since Gloria had started working for the Kissenger family. She enjoyed taking care of the children and she also enjoyed the small chats she had with their mother, Kirsten as well. Sometimes Andrew would join the chats as well, although Gloria knew what he was really doing there.

On this particular Friday, Gloria had volunteered to take the kids shopping while Kristen went to the doctor for her usual checkup. She was praying and hoping to get a heart transplant before Christmas Eve. So far, the prospect wasn't looking good, but Kristen never stopped praying for one. She mostly prayed that she would be able to spend one last Christmas-this Christmas-with her children. That's all she really wanted before going back to Heaven.

When Gloria had heard Kristen praying for that very thing, she got tears in her eyes. She prayed as well, asking God to let Kristen do that very thing if the young woman didn't have much time left.

Just then, Gloria heard a voice from behind her.

"She used to do the same thing to me too. You have to keep a close eye on those two, especially that one. She'll give you a run for your money. You just need to show her whose boss."

Brooke moved closer to Gloria out of fear and the young angel picked the little girl up, holding her close.

"I think I'm pretty capable of taking care of Brooke and her brother. thank you." Gloria said, her voice full of irritation towards Jerry's interruption. "I enjoy spending time with them. They're good kids."

Jerry scoffed at that as though he didn't believe Gloria's words.

Gloria then regarded her other assignment curiously.

"What are you doing here?" Gloria asked, trying to sound as pleasant as possible. "Last minute Christmas shopping?"

Jerry nodded.

"Something like that. You?"

"The same." Gloria told him. "The kids wanted to buy something for Kristen. I think it's a sweet idea." Gloria commented, bouncing Brooke slightly. "They really have pure hearts."

Jerry nodded, but didn't say anything in response.

"I have to go." He said, before hurrying away.

Once Jerry was gone, Gloria sighed with relief. She wasn't the only one either.

Brooke let out a sigh of her own before showing Gloria the present again.

"Do you think Mommy will like them?" SHE asked, hopefully. "She used to dance with me before she got sick. We took ballet together before…" Brooke's voice trailed off as a few tears fell from her blue eyes.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, sweetheart. I know your Mommy's gonna love them." Gloria told her, getting a small smile out of Brooke.

Brooke grinned back, despite the fact that she was still crying.

"Can we buy them today?" Brooke asked, her voice full of hope.

Gloria shrugged.

"Well, let's see how much they are first, okay? Can I see them, please?" Gloria asked, holding her hand out for the shoes.

Brooke gave Gloria the shoes and waited for her answer.

As Gloria glanced down at the price and frowned.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It doesn't look like we can buy them today."

Brooke frowned.

"But what if someone else buys them first? Miss Gloria, these are for Mommy!"

Gloria sighed.

"I know, honey. But look, I'll tell you what. We'll ask someone to hold them for you. That way, these will be here for you when we come back on Monday."

"You think they will?" Brooke asked, her voice full of hope.

Gloria nodded.

"I'm sure they will. Come on." With that, Gloria led Brooke and Caleb to the lay away counter.

But as they approached the line, Gloria frowned. It was really long. She was about to suggest that they hide the shoes somewhere safe within the same shelf Brooke found them, when she saw someone she recognized out of the corner of her eye. She thanked God for the miracle and led the children towards Tess.

"Hi Tess!" Gloria greeted, giving Tess a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Tess grinned at her little angel before answering her question.

"Well, they needed my help, so I decided to lend my services. And who are these precious babies?" She winked at both children, making Brooke giggle.

"I'm Brooke!" Brooke told her, holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Aw, it's nice to meet you too, baby. My name is Tess. I'm a friend of Gloria's."

"Miss Gloria's taking us shopping for our Mommy." Brooke told Tess. She frowned just then. "But we don't have enough money to buy her gift now. But Miss Gloria said someone would hold them for us. Can you help us?"

Tess frowned.

"I would love to, but I have to help those people first." Tess told Brooke, pointing to a family just in front of them. "But I'll tell you what. If you give them to my friend, Celeste, I'm sure she'll be able to help you."

Brooke nodded, but Gloria frowned.

"Celeste? Tess, can't isn't there anyone else who can help us?" She emphasized the last two words to get her point across.

Tess gave Gloria a look.

"No, there isn't, little angel. Celeste is a good friend of mine." Tess said, turning towards Brooke and Caleb. "I'm sure she'll take really good care of you." With that, she left, saying good bye to the children before doing so.

"Thanks, Miss Tess!" Brooke called, smiling after her.

Gloria shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe that Tess expected her to trust Celeste with a job like this. Gloria would have much preferred to give the precious gift over to Monica or Rafael. She would have even given the shoes to Clara. Clara was a good friend of Gloria's and a very trustworthy angel. Anyone but Celeste.

Sighing, Gloria resigned to doing what Tess had said. She led the children over to where Celeste was standing.

"Could you please hold this for them?" Gloria asked, trying to be as pleasant as she could. "They want to give them to their mother for Christmas. It's really important that they DO NOT get lost." Gloria said, emphasizing the last two words so Celeste would hopefully grasp the concept.

Celeste nodded. She understood the significance of the situation although she wasn't all there sometimes. She smiled down at the little girl Gloria was carrying and gave her a smile.

"I'll do my best." Celeste replied, giving the little girl an earnest look.

"Thank you." Brooke said, a little hesitant to give them up. She knew from the way Miss Gloria was acting that she really didn't' trust this person.

"It's okay." Gloria encouraged, hoping Brooke would listen to her. "Go on, Brooke. God will keep them safe." She assured the child.

Brooke nodded. She believed Gloria's last statement and handed the shoes over to the over excited angel.

"You won't regret this!" Celeste promised the children, making Brooke jump a little.

"Thanks, Celeste." Gloria said, praying they didn't regret what they had just done.

After Gloria and the children left the mall, Gloria took them out to lunch before they returned home.

During lunch, Brooke couldn't stop talking about the present they had found for their mother.

Caleb was excited about it too. But as he gazed down at the last bits of his milkshake, he frowned.

"Do you think that woman will keep the shoes safe?" He asked, his voice full of disbelief.

Gloria sighed.

"I hope so, Caleb. I hope so. But like I told your sister, God will keep them safe. God knows how important this is to you and Brooke."

"He does?" Brooke asked, surprised.

"Yes. Oh yes. Of course He does." Gloria told her, making the girl smile from ear to ear.

Upon arriving back at the Kissenger home, Gloria put Brooke to bed and then helped Caleb with a report for school. The night seemed to go by rather peacefully. Little did Gloria know what the next few days held…

Jerry Thompson frowned in disbelief as he stared at Monica. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He had only left for a few hours and in that time, Serenity had become deathly sick. She was running a high fever and she couldn't keep anything down. She was also having trouble breathing.

Jerry tried blaming Monica, but Monica insisted honestly that it wasn't her fault. Her statement was so convicting, Jerry couldn't deny her words were true.

As Jerry sat by his daughter's bedside, he did something he hadn't done since he was ten years old. HE prayed. He prayed with all his heart that God would heal his little girl. He didn't care about many people, but he did love his daughter very much. He might not show it as much, but he did love her.

"Please, God, please, don't take her away from me on Christmas. Please. I know I've done some pretty awful things and I haven't treated the people around me too nicely, but please. I beg you, please just let her stay with me until Christmas is over. I'll do anything in return, anything." With that, Jerry let the tears fall.

Monica sighed as she realized what she had to do. She came over to where Jerry was sitting and regarded him with a gentle, but sad smile on her face.

"Jerry, God doesn't want you to do anything' in return for a few more hours with your wee girl. What He does want you to know is that He loves you. He loves you and He loves Serenity so much."

"How do you know?" Jerry asked, his voice distressed and a tinge of bitterness in it.

Monica smiled as she started glowing with the light of God's love.

"I know because I am an angel."

"What!" Jerry spluttered. He glanced up and his jaw about hit the ground when he saw the sight in front of him.

"Please, don't be afraid, Jerry. God sent me to help you. I was sent here to tell you that God loves you. He loves you and your daughter so much. He wants you to know that even though your daughter only has a little over two hours left to live, once she is in His hands, the Father will take care of her. He also wants you to know that He knows what you're truly capable of. God knows your heart, Jerry. He knows you were hurt when your wife, Elaine, left you and your daughter when Serenity was only two years old. He knows that. But God wants to take that pain away. He wants to take the pain away, but He can't unless you let Him. You have to hand it over to Him. Give Him all of your pain. Let Him have it so that He can transform it into something beautiful. Just like He is going to transform your daughter's life into something beautiful once she reaches Heaven."

Jerry choked back a sob as he looked directly into Monica's brown eyes. She was still glowing with the light of God's love, her face the depiction of kindness and love.

"Ca-can't you just heal her?" Jerry asked, hoping beyond hope that it was possible.

Monica shook her head as a frown crossed her face. She tried to fight back tears as she explained why.

"No. I'm sorry, but I can't. Only God can. And He promises you that once Serenity is in His hands, she will be healed."

Jerry shook his head and let the tears fall. He couldn't lose his little girl now. He just couldn't.

"Why!" He shouted, his voice full of despair and a hint of anger. "Why God! What did I do to deserve this? She's just a little girl!" His voice shook with emotion as he spoke the next few words. "She's my little girl."

"God knows that." Monica told him, her own tears falling freely now. "He knows how much you love her, even though you couldn't show it that often. Serenity knows as well. She told me several times when we were spending time together that she knew you loved her. She said you showed your love towards her by finding someone to take care of her when you couldn't do it."

"She said that to you?" Jerry asked, surprised by his daughter's words and insightfulness at such a young age.

Monica nodded.

"Aye, she did. Your daughter knew you loved her. And God knows too. God knows how hard you worked to support the both of you after your wife left. And God is very proud of you for that. He commends your work."

"But why Serenity? Why not me? Why doesn't God take me instead! I don't have anything to live for! She's just a little girl! She has her life ahead of her!" Jerry cried.

Monica sighed.

"God doesn't exchange His child's life for another. And He says you still have work to do for Him. He has a plan for you, Jerry Thompson. God has a plan for you and you must fulfill it. I know it's hard to do, but I promise that if you trust in Him and have faith, He will show you what He wants you to do."

"And when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." A familiar voice said as another angel appeared next to Monica. "Trust His heart." With that, the brunette angel with glasses started to sing. Her voice filling the room with the voice of an angel.

All things work for our good

Sometimes we don't see how they could

Struggles that break our hearts in two

Sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us

His ways or not our own

So when your pathway grows dim

And you just don't' see Him

Remember your never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When you don't see His plan

When you can't trace His hand

Trust His heart

He sees the master plan

And He holds our future in His hand

So don't live as those who have no hope

All our hope is found in Him

He alone is faithful and true

He alone knows what is best for you

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When you don't see His plan

When you can't trace His hand

Trust His heart

At the conclusion of the song, Gloria stepped forward and laid a hand on Serenity's shoulder.

The little girl's eyes opened and she gazed up at Gloria.

"You're an angel." Serenity said, her voice soft and weak.

"Yes, sweetheart. I am. My name is Gloria. And Monica's an angel too. We're here to help you."

"Am I going to Heaven soon?" Serenity asked, looking directly into Gloria's eyes.

Gloria nodded, a few tears in her eyes.

"Yes you are, honey. But don't worry, Heaven is very beautiful. My friend, Andrew is going to come and take you there soon."

Serenity nodded.

"Is Andrew nice?" She asked, her voice full of hope.

Gloria nodded, but it was Monica who spoke up just then.

"Aye, he is very nice."

Serenity nodded, a small smile spreading across her pale face.

"I'm glad." With that, she went silent.

While Gloria stayed and talked to Serenity until Andrew came, Monica turned her attention to Jerry.

"Jerry, you don't have much time left with Serenity. She needs you now. And once…once Serenity goes to Heaven, God will help you to endure the pain of losing her. But you have to ask Him for it. You need to be sincere and ask Him for the strength to get through the next few months. You need to humble yourself in front of Him and truly ask for His help. He will help you, but you need to ask Him for it. But not yet. Now, just concentrate on Serenity."

Jerry nodded and did so. He spent the next hour talking to his daughter, telling her he loved her and how much he was going to miss her.

Both Gloria and Monica stayed by Jerry and Serenity's side, trying to hold it together themselves. This was hard for them to witness, but they knew it was harder for Jerry to experience as well as Serenity.

When Andrew showed up, Jerry tried his best to prevent the inevitable from happening. He begged and pleaded with both Andrew and God to not take his little girl.

But finally, after twenty minutes, Jerry finally surrendered to what was going to happen and allowed Andrew to take Serenity to Heaven.

It was only after Gloria left and Monica was left alone with Jerry, did she encourage him to give his pain over to God. Now was the time to do so.

It took Jerry a while, but he was finally able to do it. And as Monica watched him pray as the tears of pain and anger streamed down his face, she felt an ache in her heart.

But the Irish angel was comforted knowing that in God's time, Jerry would heal. But Monica also knew that what God had in store for Jerry the next day would help him heal even more. But the question was, would Jerry let God help him when the time came?


	4. Safe in Heaven

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own.

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it.

God loves you

"The Christmas Shoes"

Chapter 4-Safe in Heaven

Gloria returned to the Kissenger household to find Caleb asleep, but Brooke was wide awake. The little girl was holding onto her bear and tears were streaming down her face.

"Brooke? Brooke, honey, what's wrong?" Gloria asked, taking the child into her arms. She carried the six year old to the glider and sat down, securing the little girl in her lap as she did so.

Brooke sniffed before answering Gloria's question.

"I'm gonna miss her!" Brooke sobbed, her voice full of distress.

Gloria had to fight hard not to cry herself. She wanted so badly to take Brooke's pain away, but she knew she couldn't. All she could do was hold the child and try to reassure her with words of truth and comfort.

"I know, Brooke, I know. But your Mommy's going to be safe in Heaven. Just like God is going to keep your gift to her safe, He will keep your Mommy safe when she goes to Heaven."

"How do you know?" Brooke asked, her voice full of longing rather than anger.

Gloria smiled, feeling God telling her it was time to reveal herself.

"Because I'm an angel." Gloria told her, the light of God's love shining around her all the while.

Brooke gasped, but she stayed where she was.

"Don't be afraid, Brooke. I'm an angel. God sent me here to help you and your family."

Brooke nodded. SHE smiled at Gloria before shaking her head.

"I'm not scared." Brooke told her. "I knew there was something special about you. I knew it!" With that, she jumped off Gloria's lap and ran to get Caleb.

When the two children returned, Brooke scrambled onto Gloria's lap again and snuggled in for a cuddle.

"See?" Brooke said, giving her brother a triumphant smile. "I told you she was an angel."

Caleb nodded. He frowned as he stared at Gloria before glaring at her.

"Are you here for our Mom?" He accused, his voice full of anger.

"No, of course not." Gloria told him, honestly. "I'm here to help you and Brooke. I was sent here to help you. God sent me here to help you two."

Caleb nodded. He gave Gloria a once over before turning around and running out of the room.

"Why is Caleb mad at you?" Brooke asked, a frown crossing her face. "You're trying to help us."

Gloria sighed as she shook her head. She had stopped glowing by this point, but she still had a message to deliver.

"I don't know, sweetie. But I have something I need to tell both of you. God has a message He wants you to hear."

"God has a message for me?" Brooke asked, surprised.

"Yes, He does." Gloria told her, hugging the child close. "God wants you to know that He loves you. He also wants you to know that He is very proud of you for wanting to buy your Mom a Christmas gift. He knows that you're going to miss her and He promises that He will keep her safe once she reaches Heaven. But God also wants you to know that a part of her will always stay with you, here." Gloria pointed to Brooke's heart. "You know why?"

Brooke shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"Because you two share a gift." Gloria explained, wiping Brooke's tears away gently. "You both have the gift of song and dance. And whenever you dance or sing, your mother's spirit will live on in you. You will keep her alive for your brother and yourself."

Brooke frowned.

"I will?" She asked in disbelief. "I'm only six. I can't do anything like that."

Gloria smiled.

"With God, anything is possible. As long as you have God on your side, you can do anything. All you have to do is ask Him."

"And He'll help me?" Brooke asked, hoping she had gotten it right. She had stopped crying for the most part by now.

"Yup. He will most definitely help you out." Gloria assured the little girl.

It was then that a yawn escaped Brooke's lips.

"We should get you to sleep." Gloria told her, picking the child up and carrying her to her room.

"What 'bout Caleb?" Brooke asked, almost halfway to dreamland.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow." Gloria told her. "We need to give him some time. I'm gonna make sure he didn't leave the house, but I want to give him at least until Sunday to cool off."

"Okay. I love you, Miss Gloria." Brooke said, before her eyes closed.

"Aw, I love you too, sweetheart." Gloria stayed with Brooke until she fell asleep.

Once Gloria was sure Brooke was out, she sent a silent prayer up to God, asking Him to help her finish this assignment. She knew they couldn't do it without God's help. They needed it more than ever now.

Caleb, meanwhile, had fled to the safety of his mother's bedroom, hoping to find solace there.

As he stepped into the room, he could see a man with green eyes and blond hair sitting by his mother's bed.

He regarded the stranger with something of distrust on his face. Before he could speak, the man beat him to it.

"Hi. You're Caleb, right?"

Caleb nodded, his eyes full of suspicion.

"How do you know my name?" He asked. "Who are you?"

The man smiled gently, his green eyes full of compassion.

"I'm a friend of Gloria's." He replied, truthfully. "My name is Andrew."

"You're an angel too?" Caleb asked, not daring to believe it.

Andrew nodded.

"Yes I am. And so is Gloria."

Caleb nodded and sighed.

"I know. She told Brooke and me. Brooke was fine with it, but I got mad and left."

"Why?" Andrew asked, truly interested in Caleb's story.

"You wouldn't be interested." Caleb told him.

"Try me." Andrew gently coaxed. "You'd be surprised at what things interest me."

Caleb was silent for a few minutes before resigning to telling Andrew his story.

"Well, my Mom…She…She's dying and Brooke and I wanted to get her a Christmas present since this is probably gonna be her last Christmas with us. Brooke wanted to get her new ballet shoes."

"That's very thoughtful." Andrew commented.

Caleb nodded before continuing to speak.

"Gloria took us shopping for her," he said.

Andrew could hear the bitterness in the young boy's voice when he said Gloria's name.

"Gloria's not to blame." Andrew told him. "She was sent to help you, just like I was. Gloria doesn't want to hurt you. She wants to be your friend. She's Brooke's friend."

Caleb nodded.

"Brooke likes everyone." HE commented, before continuing his story. "Anyway, Gloria took us shopping and we found the gift we wanted to give Mom. Well, really Brooke found it. But we couldn't buy it that day because we didn't have enough money. We had to put them on hold until tomorrow. Gloria's taking us back to the store to get them tomorrow afternoon."

"Well that was nice of her." Andrew observed. "Maybe instead of blaming Gloria for something that isn't her fault, you should thank her."

Caleb thought about this for a few minutes. Finally, he spoke. But rather than acknowledge Andrew's comment, he asked the angel a question of his own.

"What kind of angel are you?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Andrew sighed. He didn't want to scare or anger the boy further, but he couldn't lie to him either.

A minute or two of silence passed before Andrew spoke.

"I'm an angel of death." Andrew replied. "I'm the angel who takes people to Heaven when it's their time to be with God."

Caleb nodded. He glared at Andrew before planting his hands on his hips. But instead of yelling at Andrew, Caleb vented his frustrations elsewhere.

"It's not fair! Why does my Mom have to die! Brooke needs her! I need her! We don't' have anyone else! Nobody else cares about us!"

Andrew shook his head.

"That's where you're wrong, Caleb. Somebody else cares about you. There's someone who cares very much about you."

"Who?" Caleb asked, bitterly.

"God." Andrew answered. He had stood up from his place by Kristen's bedside and was now standing in front of Caleb. He was glowing like Gloria had done a few hours before.

Caleb glanced up at Andrew with fear and anger in his eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Caleb. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to tell you that God loves you. Gloria would have told you this herself, but you ran out before she could deliver God's message to you. But God does love you. He loves you and your sister so much that He sent His angels to help you through this time."

"How could God love us!" Caleb shouted. He was fighting tears now and losing the battle rather quickly.

Andrew sighed as he pulled the boy into his arms.

Caleb struggled at first, but then allowed the angel of death to hold him.

"God loves you because you're His child. And so is Brooke and so is your Mom. He loves you all so much. He wants you to know that your mother will be safe in Heaven. She will be safe and she won't be in pain anymore. Don't you want that for her? Don't you want her to not hurt anymore?"

Caleb nodded, overcome with tears of fear and grief.

"Then let her go." Andrew told him, his voice full of compassion and gentleness. "Let her go to God. Release her into God's hands and let Him help her. He wants to take her pain away, Caleb. And God also wants to help you and Brooke heal as well. But you have to ask Him."

"Will you help me?" Caleb asked, his voice still laced with tears and pain.

"Of course I will." Andrew replied, his hold on Caleb loosening a little bit.

"Well it looks like my job is done." Gloria said as she walked into the room a few hours later.

Andrew shook his head knowingly.

"You know better than that, Gloria. What is Tess always telling us?"

"God is never finished." Gloria recited, a small smile on her face.

"That's right."

Gloria frowned as she glanced down at Caleb.

"Is Caleb going to be okay?" Gloria asked, her voice full of concern.

Andrew nodded.

"In time, he will be. I think I was finally able to help him understand what's going on."

"I'm glad someone was able to get through to him." Gloria commented, a sigh escaping her lips. "I only pray that tomorrow's shopping trip will help shed some light on this whole assignment."

Andrew smiled at Gloria.

"I think it's going to do more than that." He winked and Gloria knew he was trying to help her feel better. She was grateful to Andrew for trying to cheer her up. She knew this assignment wasn't easy for him either. But as Gloria thought about it, she had a feeling that the shopping trip would help put the pieces of this assignment together. Little did Gloria know how right she was…


	5. The Christmas Shoes

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own.

A/N: This is it. The second to last chapter of this story. I hope everyone ahs enjoyed it or more specifically, gotten something out of it. I know I did.  
God loves you!

"The Christmas Shoes"

Chapter 5-The Christmas Shoes

The next morning, Brooke woke up bright and early. She was excited to get to the store. She wanted to buy those shoes for her mother and she couldn't wait to give them to her.

After Brooke got dressed, she let Gloria do her hair and then she ate a bowl of cereal while Caleb just picked at his own breakfast. He wasn't too hungry and Gloria could tell something was wrong. She hadn't spoken to Caleb since their confrontation the night before and things were a little awkward between them now.

Brooke tried her best to help the situation, but she couldn't force Caleb to be nice to Gloria. The little girl didn't like how her brother was treating her. Gloria was her friend and she liked her a lot.

After breakfast, Gloria got her coat on and waited for the children to get their coats on.

As Brooke was putting hers on, something fell out of it.

Caleb bent down and picked the object up. As realization hit him, he glared at his sister.

"What are you doing with this! You could have lost it! If you did, then we wouldn't' be able to buy the present at all! Why can't you leave things alone?"

Brooke was close to tears by this point. She frowned as she glared at Caleb.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't want you to forget it." She said, her voice soft and remorseful.

"It's all right, honey." Gloria told her, not wanting Brooke to think she was in trouble. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes she did!" Caleb insisted. "She's always touching things she's not supposed to."

"I said I was sorry!" Brooke shouted, before the tears gushed forth.

Gloria sighed as she tried to deal with two things at once. She decided to take care of Brooke first. She knew this was a difficult time for both her and her brother, but that didn't give Caleb the right to make his little sister cry. After all, Brooke was only trying to help.

"Brooke, shh, it's okay. Come here." Gloria picked the little girl up and gave her a hug. "Here, let's get you buckled in and then we can go get the present for your Mommy. It's okay." With that, she carried Brooke out to the car.

As Gloria left, she glanced over her shoulder and beckoned Caleb forward. Her voice was stern and Caleb knew he was in trouble. The young boy knew that even though he was mad at Gloria, he still had to obey her. She was still their nanny and that meant she was responsible for them.

Heaving a sigh, Caleb did as he was told.

Once Gloria had gotten Brooke buckled in and had put on one of her favorite music CD's, she gave her a hug before closing the door and turning her attention to Caleb.

"Now, I know you're angry. I also know you're not very happy with me right now. But that doesn't give you an excuse to make your sister cry. Do you understand me? She's afraid and upset too."

Caleb had the decency to look ashamed as he gazed at the ground. He knew he had been wrong, but he didn't know how to express his anger and confusion. It was true that Andrew had helped him feel a little bit better, but he was still hurting a lot.

"I'm sorry." Caleb apologized, after a minute or two.

"I accept your apology. And I forgive you." Gloria told him, her tone softer than it had been before. She knelt down to his level and gave him an understanding look. "I know this is hard for you, Caleb. But you need to understand that it's hard on Brooke too. She was only trying to help."

Caleb sighed.

"I know. I was just afraid she was going to lose the money."

"I understand. But you still need to tell her you're sorry. Come on. Once you apologize, we can leave." With that, Gloria led Caleb around the back of the car and helped him into the seat beside his sister.

When Brooke glanced up and saw Caleb sitting next to her, she regarded him wearily.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No, I'm the one who needs to say I'm sorry." Caleb told her, making Brooke look up at him in surprise. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just afraid you would lose the money."

"I know." Brooke said, giving Caleb a small smile. "I forgive you."

"Thanks." Caleb told her. He then glanced at Gloria and his smile grew.

"Can we go now, please?"

"Now how can I deny a request like that?" Gloria asked, half laughing. "We sure can, buddy." With that, Gloria started the car and they were off.

"This is a nice car." Caleb commented, noticing the red Cadillac for the first time.

"Thanks." Gloria said, smiling in the rear view mirror at the boy.

"Is it yours?" Brooke asked, her voice full of curiosity.

Gloria shook her head.

"No. It's my supervisor's."

"Wow!" The little girl gasped. "You have a supervisor? I thought you worked for God."

Gloria couldn't help but giggle. Brooke was cute.

"I do, honey. But angels have supervisors as well. Other more experienced angels to help them along the way. My supervisor's name is Monica. You might even be able to meet her."

"Monica must be really nice to let you borrow her car." Brooke commented, shaking her head, making her braid bounce up and down.

Gloria giggled.

"Yes, she is. I love her a lot."

The rest of the ride to the mall was made in silence. Brooke and Gloria sung along with the CD, but Caleb stayed silent. He usually didn't mind Brooke's singing. In fact, his little sister had a very pretty voice, but she had gotten the talent from their mother. So now whenever Brooke sung, it just reminded Caleb at what they were slowly losing.

When they reached the mall, Brooke was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

Gloria giggled as she took her hand and led both children inside.

Once they reached the store, Brooke practically pulled Gloria towards the lay away counter.

But it wasn't Celeste who met them, but a man. He was of Hispanic descent and gave them a sincere smile.

"Hola mi Amiga!" He greeted, waving at Gloria.

"Hey, Rafael. What happened to Celeste?"

Rafael frowned as he regarded his best friend of the last four years.

"Well, she was..uh..relieved of her duties." Rafael explained, not knowing how else to say it. "She was misplacing too many things."

At the sound of the word "misplace" Gloria's heart started racing.

Beside her, Brooke frowned as she gazed up at the Hispanic angel with something of hope in her blue eyes.

Rafael gave her a smile and regarded the child warmly.

"And what can I do for you?"

Brooke hesitated for a minute. She turned to Gloria who gave her the okay.

"Go on, honey. Rafael is a friend of mine."

Brooke nodded and stepped forward.

"Hi, my name is Brooke. My brother and I left a pair of ballet shoes here until we had enough money for them. They were a present for our Mommy."

Rafael nodded. He went back behind the counter and started looking around the shelves that were reserved for lay away items.

After about five minutes, he returned. In his hand, to Gloria's relief, were the shoes.

"Are these it?" Rafael asked, handing the precious gift to Brooke.

The little girl nodded and grinned.

"Yes! Thank you! Thank you!" With that, Brooke gave Rafael a hug, which the Hispanic angel returned.

"Denada," he replied, then hastened to translate for the child. "You're welcome."

Brooke gave him a smile.

"It's okay. I know what you said. I learned Spanish from Dora! Adios!" With that, Brooke went back to Gloria's side.

Gloria giggled at Brooke's actions. The child was truly cute.

"All right you two, let's go pay for these shoes." Gloria told them, leading them over to the counter.

Brooke and Caleb nodded in agreement.

Upon arriving at the counter, Caleb got his money out and stood just in front of his sister. He held his hands out for the shoes, but Brooke held firmly to them. She wanted to be the one to put them up on the counter.

"If you pay for them, then I get to hand them to the person working here." Brooke told him.

"Fair enough," Caleb agreed. He figured with the way he had treated Brooke earlier, he owed her something.

When it was the siblings' turn to pay, Brooke presented the shoes proudly to the person behind the counter.

It turned out to be Monica.

Gloria grinned at her supervisor and gave her a thumbs up.

Monica returned the smile, but then gazed at Caleb. She didn't have time to say anything, for at that moment, Brooke handed her the shoes.

"These are a present for our Mommy." Brooke told her, smiling from ear to ear.

"Aw, how sweet." Monica commented, sincerely. With that, Monica rang the shoes up. She even wrapped them in pretty pink paper for the children at no cost.

"Thank you," Brooke said, making Monica's heart melt.

"You're quite welcome, sweetheart." The Irish angel then turned her attention to Caleb.

The boy was patiently counting out the amount he needed, unaware of how impatient the people behind them were becoming.

After a minute or so, Brooke leaned over to Caleb and whispered, "Caleb, what's wrong?"

Caleb frowned, his stomach feeling like it was going to drop out from inside of him. He didn't have enough money. After all of this, he didn't' have enough.

"We..we…we don't have enough." He replied, disbelief at his own statement. "We don't have enough money."

Brooke shook her head as she felt tears come to her blue eyes. This couldn't be happening.

"What do you mean we don't have enough?" She asked on the verge of tears.

"Just what I said!" Caleb exclaimed, frustration in his tone. "We don't have enough! Some of the money must have fallen out when the bag dropped out of your coat!"

Gloria gave Caleb a look.

"Caleb…" Gloria cautioned. "It's not Brooke's fault. She was only trying to help."

Caleb shook his head.

"It is her fault! If she hadn't tried to HELP, then we would have the money! Thanks to her, Mom's Christmas is ruined!"

"I'm sorry!" Brooke shouted back before running off, the shoes still clutched in her hand.

"I'll be right back." Gloria told Monica and Caleb. Then to Caleb she said, "Don't move from this spot." With that, Gloria left to talk to Brooke.

Caleb sighed as he felt his own tears start to fall. This shopping trip had turned into a big mess. A big mess Caleb wasn't sure how to fix.

Before Monica could speak, a familiar voice from behind them beat her to it.

"How much are they?" He asked.

Monica gazed up and gasped when she saw who was standing there. Out of all the people she had expected to see, she did NOT expect it to be Jerry Thompson.

After Monica regained her composure, she checked the price again.

"Forty dollars." She stated. "The wee ones are only ten dollars short."

Jerry nodded. He gazed at Caleb before glancing back at Monica. He had remembered that the kids had wanted to buy a gift for their mother when they were with him. He had said no, thinking they just wanted to waste more of his time. But now, he had a feeling there was more to their story.

"Would you excuse me for a minute?" He asked Monica. He then turned to Caleb. "Come here, Caleb. Let's talk."

Caleb glanced at Monica for the okay and she nodded.

"Go on. He won't hurt you. I talked to him." She winked and Caleb realized in that instant that she too was an angel.

With only a little reluctance, Caleb followed Jerry Thompson to a nearby bench to talk.

Meanwhile, Gloria had caught up to Brooke. The little girl was sitting on a stool in the toy section, crying her heart out. She had her face buried in her hands and her sobs were heart wrenching.

"Brooke?" Gloria asked, being careful not to scare the little girl.

"Leave me alone!" Brooke shouted, tearfully.

"Brooke, I can't do that, sweetheart. I can't do that because you're upset and you need me. Come here, sweetheart." With that, Gloria held her arms out to the distraught little girl.

Brooke looked up at Gloria, her blue eyes full of tears. It only took a minute for Brooke to take Gloria up on her offer of comfort. She jumped off the chair and ran into Gloria's waiting arms, the tears still falling freely.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Brooke, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. I promise." Gloria soothed, praying she was telling Brooke the truth.

"No it won't!" Brooke cried. "It's all my fault! If I didn't put the bag in my pocket, we would have had the money!"

"No, sweetheart." Gloria insisted, rocking the child in her arms. "No. It's not your fault, Brooke. It's not. God doesn't blame you."

"Caleb does!" Brooke sobbed. "He hates me!"

"No, he doesn't, honey." Gloria insisted, her voice gentle, but full of confidence at the same time. "Caleb doesn't hate you. He's just mad and confused, but he doesn't blame you. He knows deep down in side that it wasn't your fault. I promise."

Brooke nodded. She let out another sob as she tried to calm down.

"My Mommy won't have a Christmas present anymore!" Brooke wailed, making Gloria's heart break right there.

"Yes she will." Gloria insisted. "She'll have a Christmas present. The best present ever."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked, glancing up at Gloria in confusion.

"She'll spend Christmas with you and your brother. That's the best gift you could ever give her."

"But I wanted to give her the shoes too!" Brooke insisted, a few more tears falling from her eyes.

"I know you did, Brooke, I know. And I promise you, if God wants your mother to have them, He will help you give them to her."

"God would do that for us?" Brooke asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Yes He would. All you have to do is ask Him." Gloria told the little girl.

Brooke nodded. She flashed a small smile at Gloria as she took her hand.

"Will you pray with me Miss Gloria, please?"

"Aw, I sure will, kiddo. I sure will." With that, Gloria and Brooke began to pray, asking God what He wanted them to do as far as Kristen's Christmas present went.

After they were done praying, Gloria suggested that they go and see what Caleb was up to.

Brooke agreed and took Gloria's hand.

"Do you think that God will help us?" She asked, her eyes full of hope as she and Gloria walked back to where Caleb and Jerry were at.

Gloria grinned.

"I know He will." She said, smiling down at the little girl. "I know He will."

Little did Gloria and Brooke know what God had in store for both Kristen's Christmas gift, along with Brooke and her brother.

Meanwhile, Caleb was trying to explain his predicament to Jerry Thompson. He was a little hesitant to talk to him, since Jerry hadn't treated either of the Kissenger siblings well in the past.

But Monica's reassurance had given Caleb the confidence he needed to explain to Jerry what was going on.

"We wanted to buy the shoes for our Mom." Caleb explained, the tears starting to fall again. "She's sick and she's gonna go to Heaven soon. It was Brooke's idea to get her the gift, but since Brooke's little, I earned the money with my paper route. Then when it got to be too cold for me to do that, I took odd jobs here and there to earn the money."

Jerry nodded. He had heard enough. He knew what he had to do. Although he felt awkward doing it, he knew it had to be done. He had never done anything for anyone else besides his daughter before.

"Mom and Brooke took ballet together when Brooke was three until just six months ago when Mom got sick. They used to sing together in church too. I'm going to miss her, but I know Brooke is going to miss her a lot more than I will."

"You know she loves you both the same don't you?" A Hispanic male voice asked from just behind Caleb.

Caleb jumped as he turned around to see Rafael standing there. He was glowing the same way Gloria and Andrew had the night before.

"Ya-you're an angel too?" Caleb asked, not daring to believe that God would send this many angels to help his family.

Rafael nodded.

"Si, yes I am. Your mother loves you and your sister equally. She doesn't favor one over the other."

Caleb nodded.

"I know." He then turned his attention back to Jerry. "Brooke really had her heart set on buying our Mom those shoes. She really wants her to have them. It's too bad we probably won't be able to buy them."

Rafael shook his head.

"Don't give up hope so easily, mi amigo. God will give you what you need when you need it. All you have to do is keep the faith and let God handle the rest. He's got you covered." He winked at Caleb, who gave him a small smile.

As Caleb turned back to face Jerry, he glanced behind him to see that Rafael was gone.

Shaking his head, Caleb finished explaining to Jerry his worries over possibly not being able to buy the shoes.

"I can't believe I was so stupid!" Caleb berated himself. "I should have checked the price of the shoes before we left them here. Or at least I should have made sure I had enough money. I blamed Brooke, when it's really my fault."

Jerry shook his head. But it wasn't he who spoke next.

"It's not your fault, Caleb. And it's not Brooke's fault either."

Caleb looked up to see Gloria and Brooke approaching them.

"How can you say that? I'm the one who didn't check if we had enough money. And I'm the one who didn't' check to see if we lost some of it when it fell on the ground. If I had checked, we would have had enough to buy the shoes for Mom."

Gloria shook her head.

"It's not your fault." Gloria repeated. "It isn't. God doesn't blame you."

"I don't blame you either." Brooke said, sincerely. She came over and gave her brother a hug.

Caleb was taken aback by his sister's actions, but he hugged back nonetheless.

"But what about the shoes?" He asked, his tone lost and confused.

Jerry cleared his throat uncertainly. He gazed from the children to the shoes in Brooke's hand, then back at the children again. His gaze finally landed on Gloria, who just smiled at him.

"Go on. Do it. God wants you to do this. This is your chance to keep your promise to Serenity and to God. God has placed this opportunity in front of you for a reason. This is your time to give back. Your time is now. God's timing is perfect. Trust Him and follow His call. God is calling you to do this. Go on. Don't be afraid to answer His call. He will help you." Gloria smiled at Jerry, knowing it was his choice and his choice alone.

Jerry thought for a few minutes. He closed his eyes and prayed right then and there. And even though he was praying silently, he knew God heard him all the same.

After Jerry was done praying, he smiled. He knew what God wanted him to do. He was going to take Gloria's advice and follow God's call.

"Come on you guys," Jerry said, beckoning to the two children. "Let's go get your Mom her gift." He smiled as he said this, making Brooke smile from ear to ear.

"You mean it? You're really going to help us?" Caleb asked, not daring to believe it.

Jerry nodded.

"Yes." He said, leading the way to the counter.

"thank you." Brooke said, her voice full of emotion. "Thank you."

The two children were so engrossed in the fact that their mother was going to have her Christmas present, they weren't even aware that Gloria disappeared from their sight.

It was only when Brooke turned around once they had reached the counter, did she notice Gloria was gone.

"Where did Miss Gloria go?" Brooke asked, her voice full of confusion.

Caleb smiled as he realized where Gloria had gone.

"I guess she went back home." He told his sister.

Brooke nodded. She frowned slightly at this. She had really liked Gloria a lot.

"Do you think we'll see her again?" Brooke asked, her voice hopeful.

Caleb shrugged.

"I don't know. But I have a feeling that if we keep the faith, then we'll definitely see Gloria again." With that, Caleb handed Monica the money he had been counting earlier. HE gave her an apologetic look, but the Irish angel didn't seem mad at all.

"You're still ten dollars short, I'm afraid." Monica said, giving the two children a sympathetic look.

"Here you go." Jerry said, handing Monica the remaining ten dollars. "Don't worry about it."

Monica smiled up at the man she had helped two days before. As she took the money, she felt a few tears fall from her eyes. She lifted her eyes to Heaven above and whispered, "Thank you, Father. Thank you."

The Irish angel gave the package to Brooke and smiled as she watched the children and Jerry leave.

Almost immediately after the three Humans had left, Tess and Gloria appeared beside Monica.

"Well done, Gloria, well done." Monica praised her case worker, giving Gloria a hug.

"Yes, Gloria, you did a good job." Tess told her, embracing her little angel as well. "And so did you, angel girl." Tess said, turning her attention to Monica. "I'm proud of you both."

Gloria grinned.

"Thanks, Tess."

Monica nodded in agreement.

Tess turned serious just then.

"I wish I could tell you that this assignment is over and will have a happy ending. But honestly, the assignment is far from over and the ending will be far from happy." Tess sighed at the conclusion of her statement.

"We're done, right?" Gloria asked, not sure what Tess was getting at.

Tess nodded.

"Yes, little angel. You and Monica are finished." Tess replied. "But I still have work to do."

"And Andrew…" Monica said, her voice trailing off at the look on Tess's face.

"Andrew still has a job to do." Tess finished, gazing Heavenward for strength and guidance. They needed the latter now more than ever…


	6. The Last Chance

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own.

A/N: Here is the last chapter of the story. I hope everyone likes it!  
God loves you!

"The Christmas Shoes"

Chapter 6-The Last Dance

Jerry, along with Brooke and Caleb returned to the house an hour later, package in hand.

Once Jerry was sure the two children were going to be okay, he left. He wanted to give the siblings some time alone with their mother. He knew their time together was precious.

Brooke and Caleb went straight to their mother's room. Brooke was the most excited to give her mother the present.

"Mommy! Mommy! We bought you a Christmas present!" Brooke's smile filled her face as she reached her mother's bedside. She sat down on the bed and gave her mother a kiss while wrapping her arms around her neck gently.

"Aw, hi baby." Kristen said, her voice stronger than it had been in a long time. "Did you have fun with Gloria today?" She asked, before starting to cough.

"Uh-huh." Brooke replied. She reached over and Andrew handed her a cup of water. The little girl gave it to her mother, who took a few sips from it. It took a few minutes, but her coughing fit subsided.

Kristen tried to give her little girl a brave smile.

"I'm okay, honey." Kristen assured her daughter.

Brooke nodded, although she knew otherwise.

"Do you want your present now?" Brooke asked, her voice full of joy and eagerness.

Kristen laughed, which sounded more like a ragged cough.

"You and your brother are gift enough." She told her little girl, giving Brooke a hug.

Brooke grinned.

"I know. Miss Gloria told me that too. But we wanted to give you something. You're gonna love it. Come on, close your eyes. Please?"

Kristen smiled, despite the pain she was in. She did what Brooke wanted, playing along for her little girl's sake. She knew whatever her children had bought her, couldn't measure up to the joy she felt being able to spend one last Christmas with them.

Brooke took out the box and opened it for her. She knew her mother wouldn't be able to open it in her condition.

Once the box was open, Brooke took the top off and announced, "Open them….now!"

Kristen did so and her smile grew when she saw what was in the box. She also had tears streaming down her face, but these tears were ones of love and gratitude.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Kristen said, gazing down at Brooke with nothing but love in her eyes. "Thank you so much."

"Caleb helped too." Brooke told her mother. "He raised the money so we could buy them."

"Thank you, baby." Kristen said, giving Caleb a hug and kiss. "They're beautiful."

"Do you want me to put them on you, Mommy?" Brooke asked. She was anxious to see how they looked.

Kristen smiled.

"Sure, honey."

"Yes!" Brooke cheered, the smile filling her face.

Gently as possible, Brooke took the shoes out of the box. She then placed them on her mother's feet, being careful not to cause Kristen any pain.

After Brooke was done, she stood back to admire her work. She grinned when she saw the outcome.

"They look pretty on you, Mommy!" Brooke announced. "Really pretty!"

Caleb nodded in agreement.

"They look good on you." Caleb commented, making everyone laugh.

"Thanks, Caleb, I think." Kristen replied, getting a laugh out of Andrew.

Brooke then went over to the CD player and pressed play. Music soon filtered through the room. The music was instrumental and the kind used for ballet.

The little girl grinned as she sat down beside her mother and started humming the tune by heart.

"So do you like the gift?" Brooke asked, her tone hopeful.

Kristen nodded.

"I love it, sweetheart. Thank you both so much. I really appreciate it. You two are amazing and I love you both so much. Don't ever forget that."

"We won't." Caleb told his mother, giving her a kiss. He felt tears come to his eyes, but he fought them back.

Brooke tried to fight her own tears and was successful, if only for a little while longer.

Just then, a yawn escaped Brooke's mouth.

"Aw, I think someone's ready for bed." Kristen said, turning to Brooke.

"Mommy, may I sleep in here, please?" Brooke asked, her eyes full of desperation.

Kristen nodded.

"Of course you can." She replied, patting Brooke's shoulder gently. She then turned to Caleb. "How about you, sweetheart?"

Caleb shook his head.

"No. I'm okay. I'll see you in the morning. I love you." Wit that, Caleb kissed his mother and little sister before leaving the room.

Kristen looked to Andrew while tucking Brooke in to bed next to her.

Andrew sighed.

"He'll be all right, Kristen." Andrew told her. "God will see to that."

"I hope you're right." Kristen said, sighing as she laid back down. She pulled Brooke close and planted a kiss on her head before planting one on her cheek.

Brooke returned the kiss and laid her head against her mother's shoulder before falling asleep.

"I love you, Mommy." Brooke said just as she was drifting off to dreamland.

"I love you too, sweetheart. I love you so much " Kristen replied, stroking Brooke's hair gently. "I love you too."

Later that morning, Brooke awoke to the sound of someone calling her name. She rubbed the sleep out of her blue eyes and sat up.

"What? What's going on?" Brooke asked, still half asleep.

"I have a surprise for you." Kristen said, a happy note to her voice. "Come on."

Brooke nodded and followed her mother into the living room. She watched as her mother put on the same music she, Brooke, had played the night before.

"What's this?" Brooke asked, a little confused by her mother's actions.

Kristen smiled.

"I know we haven't danced together since I got sick, so I figured since I'm feeling unusually strong today, we would take advantage of it. What do you say?"

Brooke didn't need anymore coaxing. She smiled from ear to ear as she let the music guide her movements. She had always loved dancing. But ever since her mother had become ill, she had stopped doing it.

But as Brooke moved to the music, letting it dictate her every action, she remembered just how much she loved it.

Kristen was the same way, letting the music take her away. She smiled at her daughter lovingly as she watched Brooke in her element.

For the last ten minutes, Kristen held Brooke as the last few notes played on the stereo.

"Never forget that I love you. I love you more than anything. The same goes for your brother. I will never stop."

"I won't." Brooke said, the tears she had fought so hard to hold back threatening to fall once again. "I promise."

"Good girl." Kristen said, kissing the top of Brooke's head. 'I also need you to promise me something."

"Anything." Brooke said, her voice full of tears.

"Promise me that you'll never stop dancing. As long as you dance or sing, I will always be a part of you."

Brooke nodded, unable to speak due to the tears that were streaming freely down her face.

Gloria had told her the exact same thing just a few days ago.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, darling. It's all right. I'll always be with you." Kristen told her daughter. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too," Brooke told her, trying to calm down.

The last thing Brooke remembered was falling asleep in her mother's arms to the sound of her singing to her.

The next thing Brooke new, she was waking up to the sound of someone calling her name, but it wasn't her mother this time.

As Brooke opened her eyes, she saw that it was Tess. The wise angel was sitting near her bed, her hand resting on the little girl's shoulder.

"Brooke, sweetheart, you need to get ready." She told her. Her voice was full of sadness and Brooke knew instantly what had happened. Although a part of her didn't want to believe it, her heart knew what had happened.

Brooke shook her head as though doing so would make what had happened not be true.

"I'm so sorry, honey." Tess told her, her voice soft and gentle. "I'm so sorry."

Brooke didn't speak. She couldn't. She just collapsed in Tess's arms, the tears bursting forth like a dam that had burst.

All Tess could do was hold the child and assure her that everything was going to be okay in time. There wasn't anything else she could do. She wanted to take the child's pain away so badly, but she couldn't. Only God could do that.

The next few weeks were a blur for the Kissenger siblings. They went from relative to relative, never knowing where they would be next. It wasn't until three weeks after their mother had died that the siblings got a sense of stability in their lives.

Jerry Thompson knocked on the door of the group home the siblings had been sent to shortly after spending two weeks with their Aunt Felicia.

The woman who opened the door, gave the young man on the other side an expectant look.

"Yes, how many I help you?" She asked, her voice full of suspicion.

"Yes. I'd like to talk to you about adopting Brooke and Caleb Kissenger."

The woman smiled.

"Of course. Of course. Come in. Come in." She said, opening the door and standing aside to allow Jerry entry.

Standing just across the street from the home, four angels stood, watching the events unfold with smiles on their faces.

"Well, angel babies, I stand corrected." Tess said, gazing at the man who was about to change two siblings lives forever. "This assignment turned out to have a happy ending after all."

"I guess you can say that." Monica agreed, smiling herself at the prospect of a new life for Brooke and Caleb.

"What do you think, little angel?" Tess asked, turning her attention to the youngest member of their family.

Gloria didn't answer for a minute or two. She then got a grin on her face and replied, "I think since its Christmas, you should let me drive your car back."

Monica giggled and Andrew let out a chuckle.

Tess on the other hand, shook her head and pulled Gloria in for a hug.

"You're too much sometimes, you know that, Gloria?"

Gloria shrugged.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway." SHE said, giving Tess a cheeky smile.

"You're right, I do love you. And that goes for you two too." Tess said, glancing at Monica and Andrew. She then noticed that Andrew was no longer beside Monica. "Hey, where did angel boy-" Tess was interrupted as a snowball hit her square in the side of the head!

"You should not have done that angle boy!" Tess shouted, readying her own attack.

Gloria giggled as she and Monica joined in the snowball fight as well.

As the angel's laughter filled the air, a white dove flew above the winter wonderland. It's presence signifying a new start for the Kissenger siblings, as well as a new year for all God's children.

THE END


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